White Flag
by soulofsilence
Summary: AU When Sydney is sent to a summer camp she doesn't find what she expected, in more ways than one. SV
1. Chapter 1

This is an Au story. Sydney is fifteen years old and Micheal is seventeen years old. Sydney doesn't know that her dad works for the CIA. They are at a summer camp for the first chapter at least.   
  
If the formating looks weird, it's the computers fault.  
  
Chapter 1   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
One hot sunny day, in a place not to far from LA, a girl with shoulder length brown hair, parted into two braids, jumped off of a bus. The girl looked around for a few seconds until she spotted a rapidly growing pile of luggage underneath the shade of a tree. She found her bags and waited for her name to be called, asigning her to her unit. As she waited   
  
she thought she felt someones eyes on her. She slowly turned her head   
  
from left to right looking for the person who was starring at her. 'Aha' she thought when she found the person. A boy, with medium brown hair with bits of blonde in it, and vivid green eyes, was intently looking at her. She watched as his eyes went from her feet up her body to her head and then to her eyes. Their eyes meet, and for what seemed like minutes they looked at each other, green melting into brown.  
  
"Sydney Bristow!" The girl snatched back her eyes from his and looked for where the voice had come from. A tall young woman with short brown hair and dark green eyes was the owner. Sydney walked up to her.  
  
"Hi, I'm Sydney."  
  
"Hi Sydney, I'm Mandy. I'm your camp consuelar for the next week."  
  
Sydney was the last of her group to arrive so they headed off to their cabin.   
  
The cabin was down a path shadowed by trees, with a stream near by. It looked like you would expect a cabin to look, on the outside. But on the inside it was decorated in pastels and looked like something out of a magazine, although the bunkbeds sort of faded the magazine look. The curtains were made of beautiful gauzy material and matched the spreads folded at the ends of all the beds. Sydney looked for a bed that was towards the corner of the room and wasn't considerably noticable, so that she would be able to have some peace. Sydney saw the perfect bed, and was dissapointed to seeanother girl walk up and put her suitcase on it. Sydney made a decision and walked towards the girl.  
  
"Hi. I was wondering if you would consider sharing this bunk with me?"  
  
The other girl, twisted a strand of her almost black her with her fingers, and let her dark blue eyes linger on Sydney for a moment, considering.  
  
"Sure. As long as you don't mind having the bottom bunk."  
  
"That's fine with me." Sydney replied, prefering the bottom over the top anyway. "By the way, my name's Sydney." The other girl introduced herself as Angela. "Nice to meet you Angela." Sydney then started unpacking her bag into a very nice loking dresser.   
  
When the girls were all finished unpacking Mandy gathered them at the center of the room wich was furnished with leather couches and fluffy pillows. 'This is definately not what I was expecting this camp to be like.' Sydney thought, impressed.  
  
"Okay here's the plans for the rest of the day. We can relax and get to know each other until six, then we go have dinner at the mess hall, and after that the 15-17 age groups will be meeting at the campfire circle. So why don't we go ahead and introduce ourselves?" There were eight girls in the group including Sydney and Angela, the others were Carly, Breigh, Halley, Talissa, Charlotte, and Leah.  
  
~~~ Later that evening ~~~~  
  
It was after dinner and the girls were heading back to their cabin to get their flashlights and jackets. While the other girls went inside the cabin Sydney stayed outside and walked over to the stream. She looked at the athletic river, jumping and running all over the place. It reminded her of her father. He was always off somewhere or another, though when he was home he spent all his time with his daughter, bringing her exotic gifts from all the places he'd traveled to.   
  
**** Flashback ****  
  
"Sydney?" Her father said, knocking on her bedroom door.   
  
"Come on in, dad." Sydney replied. Her father peeked his head in before coming fully in.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some bad news Sydney." He Spoke to her with a hint of sadness in his voice.  
  
"What? What is it?" Sydney asked concerned, a million thoughts rushing through her head.  
  
" It's just that we won't be able to go to Austalia this summer after all. My company is sending me to Japan for a summer seminar, and if I go It could mean a promotion." Sydney looked at her father with a disappointed look on her face. "I'm sorry Sydney. I Really am, but there is no way out of this. Believe me, I've tried."  
  
"That's okay dad. I understand." And she did, his work was very important to him. He always made plenty of time for her though.  
  
"I promise this christmas I'll take three weeks off, and spend it all with you however you want." Sydney smiled at him and said  
  
"That would be great dad. I can't wait." So with that Sydney was being sent off to several different summer camps, staying with friends and neighbors inbetween. Awaiting eagerly for her father to come back.  
  
**** End of Flashback ****  
  
Sydney sighed, she hadn't seen her father since the beggining of June and wouldn't see him again until the end August right before school started, and it was only the beggining of July now. How could she last another month without talking to him? The postcards he sent, though with beautiful pictures on the front, were rare and few. Sydney decided she had better start getting her stuff before she ran out of time and headed back towards the cabin.  
  
A/N I had written this a little differently, but when I started typing it, it just went of on it's own direction, I think I like it better though. So what did you think? good, bad, okay? let me know!  
  
P.S. If anyone is interested in being my beta reader let me know. I need someone to check my grammer and spelling.  
  
Thanks,   
  
Chey 


	2. Chapter 2

AN First of all, I'd Like to thank my wonderful beta reader Jayme. Thanks! Now here is the second chapter.  
  
~~~~ Chapter 2 ~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sydney had barely grabbed her warm jacket and flashlight from her bag before she felt a tug on her hand, and allowed herself to be pulled out the door by a grinning Angela. It took about three minutes to walk into the woods, roots and rocks crowding the path and making it dangerous to walk on in the dark, any slight stumble and you'd find yourself on the ground, a root twisted around your ankle and a sharp rock prodding your backside.   
  
  
  
Overhead as the sun set steadily, Sydney noticed the sky becoming a beautiful, vibrant colors, oranges, reds and pinks. Up ahead she could see the hazy grey smoke from the bonfire rising above the tall green trees before the winds whisked it away to the heavens   
  
  
  
As they neared the end of the path, Sydney noticed it opened into a large clearing. There, in the center, was a huge, roaring fire, bright flames leaping up around it. Set in the shape of a circle around the fire, were benches.   
  
  
  
Sydney was the last of her group to enter the clearing, and by that time the benches were almost completely filled up. She looked for a place to sit and spotted one between two boys. As she approached the spot she took   
  
a closer look at the two boys. The one on the left had dark brown hair and brown eyes. And the boy on the right? Sydney took a closer look at him, her mind placing him immediately.   
  
  
  
'It can't be,' she thought. But it was. The boy who had been staring at her earlier that day.   
  
  
  
Just then the boy glanced up and saw her walking hesitantly toward him. Sydney smiled at him, his cheeks turning a shade brighter.   
  
  
  
"Hi." Sydney said when she reached him. "Is it okay if I sit here?"  
  
"Sure." The boy replied, not meeting her gaze, instead appearing to find the leaves scattered on the ground much more interesting.  
  
"Thanks. I'm Sydney." Sydney told him, sitting down.  
  
"I'm Michael. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise." Sydney replied.   
  
  
  
There were a few seconds of silence. Sydney was about to ask a question when a middle aged guy walked to the   
  
center of the clearing, a perky smile on his face as he looked to the campers excitedly.  
  
"Hello! How are you doing tonight? My name's Derek and I'm the head person at this camp. You all are probably getting hungry for s'mores, so I'll just quickly make my announcement and let ya'll get on with it." He said, the smile on his face not wavering. "Okay, every year the teens from ages 15-17 compete! This year we're all gonna be playing the game 'Capture the Flag'. The point of the game is to capture the other team's flag. The teams are White and Blue. Mandy's and Trevor's groups are the white team. Crystal's and Brad's groups are the Blue team. It will take place on Friday, which is four days from now. Tomorrow you will meet with your team and start planning your strategy. If there are any questions, feel free to ask me!" With that, Derek dismissed them. They started talking loudly, finding what they would need to make s'mores.  
  
"Hey. What team are you on?" Michael asked Sydney, his eyes meeting hers for a fleeting instant.  
  
"I'm on the white team. You?"  
  
"I'm on the white team too." Michael replied. He could see the fire illuminating Sydney's eyes, turning them an unusual color of red.  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sydney asked, a hint of a smile on her face.   
  
  
  
Michael, embarrassed that she had caught him looking, mumbled, "No reason."  
  
  
  
Sydney kept her eyes on him for a few more seconds before turning to observe the scene before her. People were running all over the place, and there were more burnt marshmallows than those that were eaten.  
  
  
  
Sydney and Michael sat there companionably together for the next couple of   
  
hours, talking, eating s'mores, and looking at the stars, pointing out Orion, and Cancer and other constellations.  
  
"Hey, Sydney! Come on. It's time to go." Angela shouted from the opposite side of the fire. Sydney looked over and waved her hand, implying she'd be right over.  
  
"I guess I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Yeah." Michael replied. "See you then."  
  
"Goodnight." Sydney smiled before turning towards her group, waiting to get back to the cabin, and lie down, relaxing their stomachs stuffed full of marshmallows.  
  
"Goodnight" Michael echoed in a whisper, watching as she walked over to her group.   
  
  
  
Right before they reached the path to their cabin, Sydney glanced back   
  
at Michael and smiled. Michael could only just make out the words 'Goodnight, Michael' before she turned around and faded into the dark blanket of trees.  
  
What did youy think? Please R&R. Thanks, Cheyanne 


	3. Chapter 3

This is kind of a . . . . filler chapter.  
  
~~~~ Chapter 3 ~~~~  
  
The next morning Sydney was awakened by a loud noise, to early for her liking. She fought, trying to get back to her dream world and escape the reality. 'Ugh, sleep, I just want to sleep.' she thought.  
  
"Come on Sydney." Sydney looked up toward the voice and saw Angela's face peering down at her. "Everyone else has already left for breakfast. They're only going to be serving for thirty more minutes, and everyone else has already left. And I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" With that Angela hopped of her bunk and started pulling Sydney's sheets off her.  
  
"Okay, okay." Sydney mumbled sleepily, rubbing the sand out of her eyes. she started getting out of bed, but quickly pulled her feet back up. The floor was freezing. " Hey, can you hand me some socks?" Angela nodded and received a pair of socks from the dresser and tossed them to Sydney. "Thanks."  
  
10 minutes later a showered and dressed Sydney appeared at the bathroom door. Angela was waiting for her by the exit, and upon hearing her footsteps, turned toward her and said "Took you long enough."  
  
"Hey." Sydney defended herself. "I didn't take that long."  
  
"Oh well, lets go!" With that Angela charged out the door, leaving Sydney. Sydney started running and after only a few minutes caught up with Angela.  
  
"See you later." Sydney shouted to her before putting in a burst of speed, passing her by.  
  
After breakfast all the girls headed back to the cabin to get ready for the capture the flag meeting. When they arrived at the place it was being held, Sydney broke away from her group and looked for Michael. She spotted him talking to two guys in a corner of the room. One she recognized from the night before at the fire. The other looked like what a computer geek would. Short, black hair, and thick glasses. She walked up to Michael.   
  
"Hi. How are you doing?" Sydney asked, a little nervously.  
  
Michael looked up startled.  
  
"Oh hey, Sydney. Fine, you?" He asked.  
  
"Good." Sydney replied.  
  
"Hey Mike, aren't you going to introduce us to this lovely lady?" One of Michaels friends asked, smiling slyly at Sydney.  
  
"Oh! Umm . . . Sydney this is Eric." He said, gesturing to the one who had spoken. "And this is Marshall, everyone calls him Flink though." he said, pointing to the guy with glasses.  
  
"H-H-Hello." Flink stuttered.  
  
"He's not that good at talking around beautiful women like yourself." Eric explained.  
  
"Oh." Sydney said, smiling shyly.   
  
Just then Mandy and Trevor came in and called for them to be quite.  
  
"as you all know we are competing in the game 'Capture the Flag'. The point of the game is to capture the Blue teams flag, before they capture ours. We have been assigned the flag points. Each team chooses to guards to guard the flag. the rest of the team will go around trying to capture the flag. You'll be paired in groups of two. You'll also be looking for enemies and tagging them and bring them back to our prison. " Sydney zoned out for the rest of the speech and whispered to Michael  
  
"Have you ever played this before?" Michael grinned at her.   
  
"Yeah I was the neighborhood champion back when I was younger." Michael said.  
  
"Really?" Sydney asked, impressed.  
  
"Yeah, but it's no big deal. Really." Michael said trying to shrug it off.  
  
"Well, I'm glad your on my team then." Sydney told him.  
  
"You should be!" Michael said, faking haughtiness.  
  
"Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn!!!" Sydney and Michael looked up from their conversation.  
  
"Man! Why do you get all the luck? Huh?" Eric complained.  
  
"what do you mean?" Michael asked his eyebrows hitching together in the center forming a little v.  
  
"You just got paired with Sydney!" Eric exclaimed.  
  
"Sweet!" Sydney said. "I got the best player in the camp!"  
  
"Yeah, whatever! The only reason Vaughn won those games is because he cheated" Eric said.  
  
"How do you cheat in capture the flag?!" Michael exclaimed.  
  
"You cheat at everything Vaughn. You never lose."  
  
"That is because I'm smart" Michael smugly told him.  
  
"Hey! I resent that!" Eric scowled at Michael.  
  
"I only speak the truth." Sydney decided to break in before things got to hot.  
  
"Are you all ready for lunch?"   
  
They all agreed they were, and headed off for the mess hall. Once they had collected their trays the sat at a table. Sydney was sitting in between Angela and Michael. Eric being the sly fox that he was had managed to sit next to Angela who, he had decided was very hot. Sydney was picking at her food when all of a sudden she felt something gooey land in her hair.  
  
"Hey! what the-"   
  
"Sorry! I am so sorry!" Flink apologized. "I was just trying to build a catapult and it went off."  
  
"That's okay" Sydney told him. Angela went with Sydney to the bathroom to help her get cleaned up. No one noticed a smile forming across Eric's face. They all went back to their previous conversations. A few minutes later Michael was splattered across the face with Gravy and mashed potatoes. Michael looked at Eric for a second before picking up a handful of mac and cheese and throwing it back at him.  
  
5 minutes later . . . .  
  
"There you go" Angela announced. "You are all cleaned up."  
  
"Thanks for your help Angie." Sydney thanked her.  
  
"No problem" With that they went back to the mess hall. They walked in and were assaulted by Macaroni, gravy and milk. They looked at each other for a minute before grabbing the nearest food and joining in. for the next 7 minutes the mess hall transformed into a full out battle zone. Then Derek came in.   
  
"Stop it! Stop It! Who is responsible for this?" Derek, who was always smiling was now wearing a frown across his face. All the kids pointed to Eric.   
  
"Uh oh." Eric softly mumbled to himself.   
  
This was my last writing chapter, so now it will be at least a week until I update prolly. *sigh* If only there was no such thing as school.   
  
Chey ;) 


	4. Chapter 4

So . . . Want the next chapter? Yes? No? Maybe? Well, I guess I'll go ahead and give it to you. I think you'll really like this chapter. I hope so anyway, lol.   
  
Chapter 4   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Aaagh!!" They screamed as the boat flipped over, sending them into the water. Sydney was engulfed in the dark water, she could barely make out the shape of Michael a few feet away. She started to swim toward him and had gone several feet when she felt something. 'Oh my god!' She thought, as she felt something slip around her ankle, pulling her down.   
  
Michael surfaced and glanced around for Sydney. 'where is she?' He thought worriedly. He couldn't see her anywhere. He dove under the water trying to see, a hand, a foot, anything just so he could find her. He looked until he felt like his lungs would burst, took a short trip to the surface and then went back under.  
  
Sydney kicked her leg as hard as she could hoping to get free of it's grasp. She felt her foot connect with something fleshy. It quickly let go and she swam as fast as she could to the surface.  
  
When she came up she took a deep breath, reviving her lungs. Her eyes searched franticly for Michael, dashing about wildly. 'Oh no! He isn't here!' She started to panic. 'what if that thing got him!' She was about to go under to look for him when she felt something touch her shoulder. She shrieked, surprised by the sudden contact and turned around to see what it was. Michael's head emerged from the lake as she spun around. Michael felt a deep sigh of relief go through his body when he saw her.  
  
"Where were you?!" He demanded to know. Sydney looked at him.   
  
"What do you mean where was I? Where were you ?" Michael looked at her.   
  
" I was looking for you! When you didn't come up I got worried and went back under to look for you!" Sydney's eyes softened. 'He was worried about me? Hmm . . . I kinda like that.' She glanced back at him  
  
"Something's under there!" She told him, pointing to the water. "Something was pulling me down, but I finally got away after I kicked it in the face." Michael looked at Sydney, a look of shock on his face.  
  
"Really? Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?" He bombarded her with questions. Before she could answer a large, sputtering shape came up out of the water.  
  
"Damn Sydney! Why did you have to kick so hard?" Eric complained, holding a hand to his nose. Blood was seeping through his hand, dripping down into the water.  
  
"That was you!" Sydney exclaimed in shock.   
  
"What were you thinking?!" Michael shouted at him.  
  
"You could killed me!" Sydney lunged at him, and was about to land a punch on his jaw when she felt Michaels stop her. Sydney looks at him, and after seeing the look in his eyes, calms down.  
  
"We'd better be heading back" He flips the canoe over and climbs in.  
  
"here." he extended his hand toward Sydney and pulled her in.   
  
"Thanks" She, smiled shyly.  
  
~~~~~ Later that night ~~~~~  
  
Sydney was talking to Angela when she heard someone calling her name.   
  
"Hey Sydney!" She looked towards the voice. 'Oh great, Eric' She sighed before walking up to him.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Well, umm . . . I just wanted to say I'm sorry, and that I didn't mean to hurt you or anything." He looked waited nervously for Sydney's reply. She reluctantly decided to forgive him.  
  
"That's okay. Just don't do it ever again, understand?" Eric nodded his head vigorously.  
  
"Good" With that Sydney went to get her dinner. 'hmmm . . . ham or pepperoni? I think I'll go with the pepperoni' She took her pizza and went to sit down next to Michael. She eyed his pizza, almost choking when she saw it.  
  
"You like anchovies!" Sydney cried out in disbelief, shock, and horror.  
  
"Yeah, so? They're yummy! Really" He tried to convince her.  
  
"Yeah, umm . . .I'll just have to take your word for that" She looked down at her food and started thinking maybe she wasn't so hungry after all. Michael, who had just polished off the last of his pizza, looked down at her plate.  
  
"Syd?" She looked up at him.  
  
"Yeah?'  
  
"Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to her pizza.  
  
"Oh! Umm . . . No, I guess you can have it if you want"  
  
"Thanks!" He reached over and grabbed the pizza, his arm brushing against Sydney, causing her to shiver.  
  
"Are you cold?" he asked concerned.  
  
"No, I'm fine" She gave him a little smile. "just got the shivers for a minute, ya know?"  
  
"uh, yeah . . . Sure" He looked at her. "I . . . I think I know what you mean." conversation paused for a moment, neither sure what to say next. Before to long the bell rang, announcing that dinner was over.   
  
"Well . . . I guess I'll talk to you later?" Michael asked picking up his plate, and Syd's. He was about to walk away when he had a sudden idea.  
  
"Hey Sydney! Wait a minute!" He quickly walked over to where she stood. "Would you like to go on a walk tonight?" Sydney, caught off guard, stumble for a second.  
  
"Oh! Umm, sure" Relief flooded Michael's face when she accepted.  
  
"Okay. Let's meet where the paths to our cabins separate at 8:00, okay?"  
  
"Sounds great!" Sydney turned around and sauntered over to Angela.  
  
"Why are you smiling like that?" She glanced curiously at her expression.  
  
"Like what?" Sydney asked, trying to act nonchalant   
  
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You know, the smile that's been on your face since you talked to Mike?" Angela laughed. "You have the hots for him, don't you."  
  
"No!" Sydney looked at her in awe. "how could you think that?"  
  
"Oh come on! How could you not fall for him? He's like a Greek god or something!"  
  
"Okay well, maybe I have a little thing for him, his is kind of hot I guess." She slowly admitted.  
  
"I knew it!" Angela shouted.  
  
"Shh! I don't want the world to know! Sydney put a hand over Angela's mouth.  
  
"Okay." She pulled Syd's hand away from her mouth. "Now tell me why you're smiling all goofyish" Sydney smiled slyly. "Well, he asked me to go on a walk with him tonight"   
  
"And . . . ?"   
  
"And what?"   
  
"What did you say!" Angela rolled her eyes. Sydney laughed before replying,   
  
"I said yes, of course!"  
  
"good" With that Angela and Sydney headed back to their cabin.  
  
~~~~~ 10 minutes later ~~~~~  
  
"Aaaargh!!! What do I wear?" A frantic Sydney was throwing clothes right and left out of the dresser..  
  
"Well umm . . . How about this?" Angela picked up a blue tank top, a pink cargo mini , and a white windbreaker. "Perfect!" Sydney squealed. She hugged Angela and then went to change.  
  
'Well' Angela thought smugly. 'At least I'm good at something.'  
  
A few minutes later Sydney came out all dressed, and ready to go.   
  
"I guess I'd better be going. Thanks for the help Angela!"  
  
"No problem, really." Angela assured her. "Now go have some fun!" She gave Sydney a push towards the door. Sydney waved goodbye and then went to meet him.  
  
Michael was standing at the bridge, nervously waiting for her. He looked at his reflection in the river and ran his hands over his hair smoothing it out. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned around. 'Oh god! Did she just see me primping myself? I hope not" Vaughn thought worried for his pride. Sydney had a slight smile on his face from catching him, and walked over to him.  
  
"I think you missed a spot." She reached her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair. His hair was silky under her touch. She didn't want to let go of it, but after a few seconds she reluctantly did so. She gave it a final pat fixing it. "There you go" She gave him her nod of approval. He stood there staring at her for a few seconds, still revealing in her touch. He suddenly snapped out of it.  
  
"Ready to go?" He asked eagerly.  
  
"Yep!" They started walking.   
  
"So . . . " Michael tries coming up with something to talk about. "What are your parents like?"  
  
Sydney halted for a minute, as her memories drifted far away.  
  
"Uh . . . Sydney? Sydney!" She startled and came out of her trance.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring back bad memories or anything." Michael was looking at her, with worry.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing." Sydney told him.  
  
"Really?" Michael wanted to make sure.  
  
"Really" Sydney assured him. "So what are my parents like?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, my dad's really sweet and caring. His job keeps him quite busy, but he spends all his free time with me to make up for it." She told him.  
  
"My dad's like that too. He isn't home much but when he is he does lots of stuff with my mom and I"  
  
"That's cool. So what about your mom?" Sydney wanted to know.  
  
"Oh, she's great. She's always doing something for me or helping me out with something. What about yours?"  
  
"She uh, she died when I was 6. In a car crash." Sydney mumbled quietly. Michael looked at her.   
  
"I'm sorry"  
  
"Why?" She looked at him imploringly.   
  
"Well, umm … " He searched for something to say. Sydney laughed.   
  
"I was just kidding, I know your sorry, and why." Michael sighed.  
  
"You know, that wasn't funny. I thought if I said one wrong thing I'd have a crying girl on my hands." Michael shuddered at the thought. Sydney just laughed at him.  
  
"I wouldn't have cried" She told him, indignantly.  
  
"Whatever you say" Michael said to her, grinning. Sydney slapped him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Well, you asked for it." She looked over at him, and smiled. She got butterflies in her stomach when she saw him smile back. They walked in silence for the next few minutes until they reached the lake. They walked up to the edge where the water was rolling onto the sand. The moonlight made a path across the water, the trees casting shadows everywhere. Sydney slipped of her flip flops and waded into the water. She motioned for Michael to follow. Hs removed his socks and shoes and waded in next to her. Sydney stood their looking at the stars. She was looking for the big dipper when she felt water splash all over her.  
  
"Mike!" She shrieked. "You got me wet!"  
  
"Really?" he replied, grinning. "Want to tell me something I don't know?"  
  
Sydney bent down and sent a huge wave crashing onto him, then ran before he could splash her back. They spent the next 39 minutes chasing and splashing each other and laughing. Sydney was running after Michael, when he slipped and fell. She toppled over and landed on top of him in a compromising position.  
  
They stopped laughing, their breathing becoming the only sound, other than the waves lapping the shore. Michael looked into Sydney's eyes, losing himself in them. Her face slowly moves closer to his. They feel each others warm breath, and chests rising and falling. Their lips inch ever closer, they anticipate their lips meeting, joining in a blissful kiss. Michael moves his arms to her waist, and she wraps hers around his neck. They look into each others eyes for one last second, before their lips crash upon each others, creating a perfect first kiss. Lips melted together as they continued, in ignorance of the world surrounding them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N Enjoy J ? R&R! So the next chap won't be up for maybe a week. But since it's spriong break, who knows! lol. Later! 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! Here it is!  
  
Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Wow! She is the best kisser I've ever kissed. Well, actually, the only kisser I've ever kissed' Michael thinks to himself after dropping Sydney off at her cabin. 'Are everyone's lips that soft? Or just hers? Oh god! I'm already going into a Sydney withdrawal.' He started to turn around and go back to her. 'Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't go back now. She'll think you're desperate or something' He hummed to himself quietly, hands in his pocket trying to get her out of his head. 'Sydney . . . Out . . Nothing . . . Enter. No! not Sydney! Nothing! Argh!' This is going to be one long night.' He reached the cabin door and slowly opened it. 'Don't follow me through her Sydney. Understand? Don't!' He slammed the door for emphasis. 'Oops! Hehe, shouldn't have done that' he thought as his cabin mates gave him weird looks. Walking over to his bed he took of his wet shoes and socks. Eric sauntered over and looked him from head to toe.  
  
"Wet feet, swollen lips, hmm . . . It seems like you've been busy tonight Mr. Vaughn." Michael looked up at him sheepishly. "And what's this?!" Eric pretends to mock him "Are you Blushing? Haha! Mike's blushing!!" He bent forward to pinch Michaels cheek. "Lookie there! Our little boys fallen in love!" He started laughing.  
  
"Just shut up, would you?!" Michael asked, embarrassed. He took his pj's into the bathroom and got ready to hit the sack. When Michael walked out of the bathroom, he was surprised to find the room dark and candles lit. "Umm . . . Guys? What are you doing?" He asked nervously.  
  
"No need to be nervous Mikey dear boy. Just giving you the initiation into the big boy club"  
  
"Initiation?" Michael asked, his eyebrows going up in a cute little curve.  
  
"Yes. Were going to give you something to do in a certain amount of time. If you complete it without getting caught you pass." Eric explained to him  
  
"And what is this thing I have to do?" Michael glanced around the circle of boys, their faces shadowy and dark from the candles. "Okay listen up. You have to . . . Go to Sydney's cabin and get her to come out and kiss you and then make it back to the cabin in 30 minutes. Understand.?" Michael nodded nervously. "okay then." Eric looks at the timer in his hand. "on your mark, get set, go!" Michael sat there for a moment, pondering if he should really do this 'heck! Why not? You almost did earlier. And you know you really want to' He stood up and shot out of the door. He ran all the way to Sydney's cabin before stopping. He looked in the windows. It was dark and quiet, with the exceptions of snore here or there. He peered through the darkness trying to find Sydney. 'Aha! Isn't that jacket she was wearing the other night hanging from the bed?' He moved around the cabin until he came to the window closest to her bed. He tapped it ever so softly, hoping he didn't wake anyone but her up. 'Ugh! This is so not going to work. Hmm . . . ' he searches his jacket pockets for something. 'string, no . . . . tootsie roll, yummy! Oops nope, keep going . . . .Ah! There it is.' He found his flashlight and turned it on. He lifted it up to the window and pointed it in the direction of Sydney's face. Her noise twitched as she scrunched up her eyes, trying to block out the light. 'What the hell is that?' She wondered. 'Make it go away, please. I wanna sleep.' After a few more seconds she realized it wasn't obeying her. She sat up and slowly opened her eyes, which widened in disbelief when they came into focus. 'Michael! What is he doing here?' She threw off the covers and pulled on her shoes.  
  
"Michael?" She whispered, stepping outside. "What are you doing?" She walked up to him.  
  
"I-I-I just had to see you one more time before I went to sleep." He stammered. Looking at the ground. 'How sweet!' Sydney thought. Putting her finger under his chin, she lifted it until he was looking into her eyes.  
  
"So. Here I am." She told him, smiling coyly.  
  
"Here you are." He leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. He started to pull away but Sydney grabbed his shirt and pulled him back for more. A few minutes later they separated, their breath coming in short little gasps.  
  
"That was sure a nice goodnight kiss" Michael whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her back. Sydney blushed slightly and pulled farther back.  
  
"I'm glad you liked it" Michael gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before saying,  
  
"I better be getting back. Wouldn't want to get caught, now would we?"  
  
"Right," Syd said. Squeezing his hand, she pulled away and stared into his eyes.  
  
"I'll see you later?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yeah. Goodnight." she added.  
  
"Night." Letting go of his hand, she turned and walked back up to the cabin's steps. She grinned, and turned around in his direction, and noticed Michael was grinning back at her.  
  
"Ah-hem." Syd's head shot up to the top bunk, and saw Angela's eyes staring back at hers. "Where were you?"  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"Don't lie to me! I want to juicy details!!"  
  
Sydney laughed quietly and whispered, "Michael came by to see me!" Angela gasped and Sydney quickly shushed her. "Hey! Someone might catch us!"  
  
"Alright. So, remember? Juicy details? Did they slip your mind while you were drooling over Mikey?"  
  
"I cannot believe you just called him that."  
  
"Well I'm sure you want to."  
  
"Oh yes. So Michael came by to see me."  
  
Michael ran as fast as he could back to his cabin, hoping he wouldn't get caught, and there would still be time. Opening the door, Eric's voice greeted him as he came in.  
  
"Nice. 27 minutes and 53 seconds." Eric told him.  
  
The guys patted Michael on the back, and ushered him to sit down.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N Sorry it took so long to get this out, I'd had it written for a week or so, but My account got frozen so . . . Yeah, anyway that's all I have written at the moment. I'm really trying to get more work done on it, but my schedule just isn't making that much time, which sucks ( But I'll try to get one out in about a week or so. Take care!  
  
~ Toodles  
  
Chey 


	6. Chapter 6

**_White Flag_**

****

**Chapter 6**   
  
The next morning Sydney headed sleepily to the mess hall. She saw an equally tired Michael entering a few minutes after she had sat down.  
  
"Hey." Michael greeted her sitting down.  
  
"Hi, how are you?" She asked before taking a bite of her eggs.  
  
"I'm doing pretty good. A little tired I guess" Sydney looked at him.  
  
" I can tell" Michael grins. "And how are you doing this fine morning?" Sydney looks at him, a weird expression crossing her face.  
  
"Fine? What do you mean? It's storming outside" She pointed out the window.  
  
"Yes, but I do believe your radiant smile cancels that out." Michael gave her a huge grin. He can see Eric behind Sydney, making gagging faces. Angela sent Sydney a look that said 'You gotta be crazy not to be head over heels'. Sydney shot back a look 'I know!' She squirmed in her seat wondering how to reply.  
  
"Umm . . . Thanks, I guess." Her eyes shifted nervously, avoiding his.. "Yeah, well . . . I guess I better go get some breakfast." He stood up and walked away.  
  
"I can't believe that!? Why did you get the hot guy?" Angela asks, pouting. Eric looked at her insulted.  
  
'Hey Angela, I'm hot." He gave her a grin. "What do you say?" Eric asked Angela egoistically.   
  
"Uh . . . No thank you" She glanced at him and turned back to her food, then glanced at him again. 'Actually, he isn't that bad looking' She thought, letting her eyes go over him. 'Not bad at all' she thought, smiling a wicked grin.  
  
"Like what you see?" Angela looked up to his eyes. 'Wow! Those eyes are so . . . . ' She contemplated for a minute, trying to find a word to describe them. 'Milky Way brown? Hmm . . . Yes, that's the word.' "Actually, now that I look at you, you don't look half bad." Angela smirked. Eric raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Really now?" Eric asked, unsure of whether it was a joke or not.  
  
"Yup" Sydney decided she had had enough of their flirting, and went off in search of Michael.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" Sydney asked, sliding onto the bench next to him. "Not much, just a little tired from this dream I had last night." He replied.  
  
"Really? And what was this dream about?"   
  
"Oh, just some girl."  
  
"Just some girl, huh? And was there any thing special about this girl?" "Well, she had the most beautiful golden brown hair I've ever seen, with bright chocolate colored eyes, and this cute little nose." He answered, shooting her a look. She blushed and asked  
  
"And do I know this girl?"  
  
"Hmm . . . I'm sure you've met, It would be strange if you hadn't"   
  
"Oh really" Sydney added suggestively, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the lips. They broke apart when they heard someone gagging behind them. Angela and Eric were bending over, pretending to barf  
  
"Hey cut it out!" Michael looked at them, annoyance showing in his eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay" Eric stopped and went off, Angela following him.  
  
"He is so annoying sometimes." Michael complained to Sydney. Sydney laughed at his irritation as she quickly pecked him on the lips.  
  
"Lets go eat."

**30 minutes later **   
  
"Okay, does everybody have their water bottles?" Michael asked. They had free time until lunch, and had decided to take a hike in the forest down by the lake. They had heard that there was a breathtaking view on a cliff above the lake, and had wanted to see for themselves.  
  
"I do." Eric replied, holding it up.   
  
"So do I." Angela and Sydney said together.  
  
"Okay then, lets go." They started off onto the path walking over rocks and roots that had overgrown onto it. They had been trudging along for about half an hour when they heard water.  
  
"Yahoo!" Eric shouted running up ahead. He took of his shoes and socks and started jumping in the water. As the other three came up to the little creek he was in the process of taking off his shirt.   
  
"Umm, Eric? You're gonna stop there, right?" Michael asked him, his eyebrow raising.  
  
"If you insist." Eric pouted, jokingly.   
  
"If he doesn't, then I do." Sydney stated, grinning.  
  
"I feel so loved." Eric put on a face of mocking pain.  
  
"Get over yourself already." Angela joked, laughing. Eric's face lighted up and he came racing toward her.  
  
"Your going to regret that" He told her as he dragged her threw in the water. She squealed loudly before being covered by water and the sound of a loud resounding splash. They were about to get into a full-blown water fight, but Mike intervened.   
  
"Guys., If we want to get back to lunch in time, we need to get moving." They sighed and Angela got out of the creek, wringing her hair out. They waited for Eric to put his shirt back on, before heading back on the path. They walked in two's, Mike and Syd walking hand in hand, with Eric and Angela walking a few feet in front, joking around.  
  
"So" Eric starts out. "There was this guy, who waked into a bar on the 5th floor of a building. He sat down and ordered a beer. The guy next to him turned around to face him and said 'I bet you $50, that I can jump out that window and come back up here in 5 minutes.'"  
  
"Does he take it?" Angela asked, curious. "I mean that would be an easy 50 bucks wouldn't it?"  
  
"Just let me finish it." Eric replied. "So the guy agrees, because he thinks there is no way he can survive. He watches as the guy goes to the window and jumps out. He leans over and picks up the cash, grinning" Angela watches him, seeing his face light up as he gets closer to the punch. She never noticed how much Eric talked with his hands until now. She let the sound of Eric's voice bring her back to the joke. "So, when the guy comes walking back in a few minutes later the other guy almost has a heart attack.."  
  
"How'd he survive? Huh?"   
  
"Just let me continue, okay?" Eric asked, irritated.  
  
"Kay"   
  
"So the guy is all amazed by him coming back and stuff. He asks 'How did you do that?' The guy motions him towards the window and points out it. 'You see that ledge?' he asks 'Yes' the other guy replied. 'Well if you time your jump just right with a big gust of wind, you can land on it.' 'Really?' the guy asks. 'Yes.' He replies. So the guy wants to try it and jumps out of the window. He falls to the ground and dies. The bartender who had been watching this whole time came over and asked the guy 'How did you do that?' The guy replied 'I'm superman.'" Eric burst out laughing at the end of the joke. For a few seconds he didn't even notice that Angela wasn't joining him. "Isn't that so funny?" He asked. "Why aren't you laughing?"  
  
"Well . . . " Angela looked at him. "It wasn't really that funny."  
  
"What?! It was hilarious! I made it up myself!" Eric said, indignantly. "Hmmm, maybe that's why." She teased him.  
  
"Psh! You wouldn't know a good joke if it came up and poked you on the shoulder."  
  
"Whatever." Angela muttered, before laughing.   
  
"Ha! I made you laugh!" Eric shouted, pride in his voice. They continued bickering and teasing each other as they continued their hike.  
  
Sydney felt Mike's hand tighten around hers as she stumbled over a hidden root.  
  
"Whoops!" She started to fall forward, but was stopped by Michael's arm pulling back upright.   
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem." He squeezed her hand as they went around the root and followed the two in front of them. "So . . . Do you collect anything?" Mike asked, glancing at her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Key chains."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup!" She smiled widely, her pearly teeth showing.  
  
"How many do you have?"  
  
"Umm . . . . " Her eyebrows scrunched up as she thought. "Probably about 120."   
  
"Wow! How long have you been collecting them?"  
  
"Since I was 10."   
  
"What's your favorite one?"  
  
"Well . . . " She hesitated for a second before answering.  
  
"Come on." Michael urged her, smiling.  
  
"Okay. It's one that pops open, and inside it has beavers that move back and forth. They have wood in their mouth and look like they are building a dam." Mike chuckled.  
  
"Hey! I like beavers." Sydney defended herself.  
  
"Really? Why?" He asked, curious as to her reason.  
  
"Well, they are so funny. They just sit there chewing on wood, building homes, and they are so cute! In fact . . . " She stalled for a moment, debating whether to tell him or not.  
  
"Yes . . ?"   
  
"Well. When I was little I used to have an imaginary pet. His name was Chompy."  
  
"And he was a beaver?"  
  
"Yes. And if he didn't like you, he'd bite of all your fingers except your middle one." She laughed. "I remember when I told my dad that. Got a very funny reaction."  
  
"I bet."   
  
"So . . . Do you collect anything?"  
  
"Yup, I collect rocks."   
  
"That's cool. I like rocks."  
  
"Yeah, my favorite rock is the hematite. They're smooth and shiny. There's this one, that's shaped like a bullet. My dad gave to me." He stopped for a moment, his memory going back.   
  
**_Flashback_**   
  
Michael sat on the ground, watching his dad dig through the dirt. His strong fingers pulling away the sundry rocks and shells.  
  
"We'll never make it early enough if you don't help me." He shot Mike a pointed look. Michael glanced up to his face, studying it. A look of impatience. William was never satisfied with how quick you did things. He was the clock, and if you weren't fast enough you'd know.   
  
"Sorry." He mumbled shoving his fingers into the dirt. He searched until he found some, long and wriggling. "Got a couple" He threw it into the pail.   
  
"Five more and we can start." William patted him on the back. Michael had always enjoyed these days. Days when his dad didn't have to work and would take him fishing at the nearby Lake Yuma. They usually caught dinner and brought it home for his mom to cook. Though on one occasion they had an unusual amount of bad luck. Instead of going home empty handed, they had bought a fish from another guy there. When they arrived home, they of course told his mother, Amelie, that they had caught it. As his dad always said, what you don't know won't hurt you. It was on one of those days that his dad gave him the rock. He called it the Rock of Courage, telling Michael that he had found it one day when he had lost hope, and that it had given him the courage needed to find it again and finish the task. That task was, his dad said, asking Amelie to marry him. He had always found the story uninteresting, he like ones with action better. But then he was just a boy of seven, with no worries in the world.  
  
** End of Flashback **  
  
Michael kept that rock in a special place now; a pouch in is bedside drawer. And whenever he needed courage, he'd always take it out and think of his dad. Feeling the firm, cold, smoothness of it in his hand somehow gave it to him.   
  
"Are you okay?" Sydney's question brought him out of his reverie.  
  
"Oh, umm . . . Yeah. Just thought of something for a second." He reassured her. Before Sydney could ask anymore questions they came into a small clearing at the edge of a cliff. It was pleasantly shaded by the tress bordering it. Sydney walked toward the edge, the others following her.  
  
"Wow . . . " She sighed, breath taken by the view. They were above the lake in a crescent shaped bay. Below them lay sand, stretching out to the soft waves, lapping up on its shore. The surface of the lake reflected the scenery, the sky melting into the deep blues and greens, swirling together.  
  
"This is beautiful." Angela whispered, her eyes taking it all in.  
  
"You got that right." Michael muttered. Suddenly, Eric reached over to Angela, spinning her to him. He placed his lips on her, putting his hands around her waist. Angela stiffened for a moment, before relaxing into him. Michael and Sydney look at them for a moment, before getting uncomfortable.   
  
"You know? I'm feeling left out." Sydney whispered, slyly. Mike grinned before diving his lips to hers. He felt her hands wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. He knew that at this moment, there was no other place he'd rather be.  
  
**Please review!   
  
I hope it only takes a few weeks for the next one to get out, but you never know . . .   
  
Thanks,**  
  
_Cheyanne  
_  
AN Sorry if there are any **" **to **?** 's. My program went wacko and changed all the quotes to question marks. I think I got them all though. :) 


	7. Chapter 7

**_AN- _**Thanks to everyone one who reviewed! Thanks! ::hands out chocolate chip cookies::

**princessdeleon**, **dolphingurl1**, **Lil Aussie Alias Chick**, **hannahbanana**, **Natalie**, **mangoes are yum**, **star16**, **me**, and **mel**.

::hugs::

So this chapter is sorta short, but I'm thinking the next chapter should make up for that ::wink::

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

Sydney and the rest of them were standing at the edge of a field. The field was wide and long, turned brown by the Summer heat. She looked it up and down, noticing the two piles of gear, at opposite ends of the field. 'I wonder if those are for the game.' She turned back to Angela, who was deep in a conversation with Eric. She had seen how quickly the two of them seemed to hit it off. In a way, they were both perfect for each other.

"Hey," She interrupted them. "Do you know when we're going to start?" Sydney asked. They looked at her for a moment before shaking their heads.

"Nope, no idea." They answered, before turning back to each other. She sighed and looked around, noticing that a certain someone wasn't there to keep her bored mind occupied.

"Hey, where's Mike?" She was surprised that she hadn't noticed he wasn't there before.

"Oh, he's still up at the cabin. He should be here soon though." Eric glanced over as he replied.

"Oh . . . Okay, thanks." She turned back to survey the field. She looked up and saw a few ravens flying above them. 'Uh oh, I remember when dad told me that story. About more than one raven flying together being bad luck. I hope that's not the case today' She sighed, pondering her thoughts. A few minutes later she felt someone's breath on her neck. She spun around quickly to see who was there.

"Mike!" She gasped. "Don't do that! It tickles!" He smiled at her, reaching out to grab her hand.

"But it makes you smile...And I love it when you smile." Sydney's faced reddened a little. She was about to reply when a loud booming voice made her jump.

"Hey!" She looked toward the voice finding it was in the middle of the meadow. Derek was standing there, walking back and forth in semi-circles so as to see everyone. "Are ya'll ready to get started?" He yelled.

"Yes!" the kids shouted back.

"What's that now? What did you say? I couldn't hear you." He yelled back.

"YEESSS!!" they shouted, louder than before.

"That's better! Okay, I need the white team over here," He pointed to the left side of the field. "And the blue team over there." Pointing to the opposite end of the field. Mike grabbed Syd's hand and started walking toward the left side of the meadow. When they got there, Mandy and Trevor were handing out bags of gear, including water bottles, the correctly colored bandana, and a first aid kit.

"Heh." Mike grunted, swinging the pack onto his back.

"Aw, you big baby, it isn't that heavy." Sydney teased, easily picking up her own pack.

"What? Yours must just have less stuff in it." He said, trying to defend his muscles.

"Sure." She said sarcastically. "I bet that's why." Michael responded by rolling his eyes.

* * *

A Few Minutes Later

* * *

They turned toward Mandy and Trevor, awaiting further instructions.

"Okay, gather around." Mandy said, getting out some papers. "Our Guards are Charlotte and Marcus, and Halley and Zack. You protect our flag. Our defenders are Breigh and Nathan, Carly and Tyler, and Talissa and Chad. You look out for the other team and try to tag them and take them to our prison. The prison Guards are Leah and Flink, and Halley and Josh. You keep the prisoners from escaping. And last but not least, the most important assets to the game, The Spies. They are Angela and Eric, and Sydney and Michael. You try to find where their flag is, and capture it to win the game. Got it?" A general mumble of 'Yeah' went up, as they started talking again.

"Okay then!" Trevor shouted. "Get to your positions! The flag is at Corky's Corner, so start heading over there. Wait for 20 minutes before leaving. Now win this thing and do us proud! Go!" He waved his hand and they picked up their packs and headed off into the woods, towards the corner.

* * *

Michaels POV

* * *

I followed in behind the others as they headed into the shade of the forest, stepping on the covering of leafs lying beneath the branches that towered above our heads. I sighed, glad to be out from under the glare of the sun.

"Oh, hey! I have another joke!" Eric announced gleefully, like a toddler would about his new toy. I groaned loudly, Syd and Angela echoing me.

"No, not another joke man. I can't take anymore." I said wearily.

"What? They aren't that bad." Raising his eyebrows he challenged us to say otherwise. I decided it was easier just to leave him and his deluded thoughts alone.

"okay . . . " Angela muttered, shifting her head to look away from him, a soft grin playing on her lips. Eric shot us all a wildering look, or tried to anyway before continuing on to his joke.

"So, what do you call a stick," He paused for a moment, trying, unsuccessfully, to add suspense. "that walks really fast?" He looked at us all eagerly, awaiting our guesses, his eyes moving quickly in excitement.

"Uh . . . " I stalled. " A umm . . . A walking stick?" I knew that wasn't it, but oh well. It was enough of an answer to satisfy him.

"Nope!" He yelled happily.

"Then what is it?" Syd asked imploringly.

"A Hurricane! Get it? A Hurry Cane?" He started laughing, and Angela and Sydney joined in politely.

"Yeah, that was great Eric." Angela said, rolling her eyes at Syd when Eric wasn't watching.

"See Mike? The lady's like my jokes. That's all that matters." He winked before hooking his arm through Angela's and walked up ahead, leaving Sydney and I behind.

"Well . . . . " Sydney looked at me, laughter in her eyes.

"Yeah." I started laughing and she joined in. After a few minutes of uncontrollable insanity, we were able to pull ourselves together and continued to our destination. During the walk there we were surrounded in a comfortable silence, just knowing the other was there was enough.

TBC

* * *

So there should be an update in about a week at the most hopefully :D

Chey


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N **- okay, so here is the next chapter! :D

Hands out 1 chocochip cookie to: **Whitelighter Enchantress **

Hands out 2 chocochips cookies to: **me **

Hands out 3 chocochips cookies to: **Natalie**

Hands out 4 chocochip cookies to: **dolphingurl1 **

Hands out 7 Double chocochip cookies to: **vaughnbear**, and especially to **star16**, who has reviewed every single chapter since the start. Thanks so much!

Thanks of reviewing guys! Without ya'll there would be no reason to continue :)

* * *

****

**White Flag**

_Chapter 8_

* * *

**Sydney's POV**

When we reached the others, I let go of Michael's hand and let my pack fall down with a 'thud' to the ground. Looking around, I saw that some of the others were already leaving. Angela ran over to me.

"What took you and Mike so long to get here?" She asked.

"What do you mean? We didn't take that long to get here after you." I replied. '_Or maybe,'_ I thought to myself, '_that little break we took a few minutes ago lasted longer than I thought._ ' I grinned, recalling the soft, sweet kisses, and the warmth and butterflies that had been present there. I hadn't been able to resist him. Not with the sun playing across his face, highlighting his eyes, making them a magical green.

"Okay, maybe we did take a few minutes more." I laughed. Angela smiled a knowing grin.

"I understand. Eric and I were a few minutes late ourselves." She whispered, a smile of happiness flickering across her face. I was about to say something when Eric and Michael came up to us.

"Ready to go win this thing?!" Eric yelled pumping his fist up in the air. A few people look over at us, shooting us weird looks.

"Uh . . .yeah." Michael pulled Eric's fist down. "Let's go."

* * *

Michael's POV

"Hey, does anyone hear something?" Eric asked quietly. We stopped for a minute to listened.

"Uh . . ." Angela began. "I don't hear any-"

Suddenly she was interrupted as we heard footsteps approaching, belonging to two figures.

"Hurry up, slow poke!" An impatient voice shouted.

We rushed to crouch down behind some bushes, listening intently.

"So uh . . . What are we doing again?" A timid voice asked.

"Why did I get stuck with you? Why?!" She yelled at him.

"Sorry," He looked down at his shoes, afraid to look her in the eye.

"How many times to I have to explain, Julian?" The girl asked, clearly exasperated. "We follow Brent and Sarah, who are going to get caught. Then they'll lead us to the White team's prison and we'll listen for clues as to where their flag is. When we find out, we go back to the point and tell the others. We have to be fast because we don't want to leave those two incompetent fools there to protect our flag alone. Got it?"

"Yeah," He mumbled, face red. "I got it, Lauren."

"Good. Now let's get moving before we lose them." With that, she walked off hastily, a nasty look still on her arrogant face, leaving Julian behind. He scurried after her, tripping several times over his own feet.

* * *

Sydney's POV

I waited a few minutes after the left before letting out a breath of air.

"So . . ." I started.

"Yeah, so it sounded like their flag was at the point, right?" Angela asked.

"That's what it sounded like to me." Michael put in. "And it sounds as if there are only two people watching it right now."

"Wow! Are we lucky or what?" Eric asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we are." I added with a smile covering my face. "So how should we get to the point?"

"Well . . . . " Michael scrunched up his forehead, thinking. "If we take the trail that leads straight to it, we run a higher chance of being caught. So if we take the path that leads behind the Zuni camp unit, we can sneak up the back side of the hill to the point."

"That sounds good to me." Eric said.

"Me too." I agreed.

"Okay, then let's go!" Angela cheerfully said, walking off into the direction of the trail. I followed her, Mike and Eric close behind me.

'_Ya know? This is almost to easy. _' I thought, picking my way over the rocks that littered the trail. My mind wandered back to the ravens that I had seen earlier that morning. '_I wonder if that's a sign of any kind? I hope not, but . . . ._ ' I stopped mid thought as we reached the bottom of the slope that lead up the hill to the point.

* * *

Michael's POV

We parted when we arrived at the bottom of the hill. Walking softly, we crept up the slant, and to one side.

"We're almost there." I whispered to Syd, stepping closer to her so I could avoid a branch that was lying in my path.

"Yeah." Sydney murmured in agreement, grabbing hold of my hand and giving it a squeeze. We made our way quietly as we grew closer to the summit of the hill.

* * *

**Sydney's POV**

I motioned him towards the ground, indicating that we should crawl the rest of the way. I smiled as he nodded and flashed me a grin, causing my stomach to fly. I watched as he lowered himself to the ground, admiring his flexing muscles. '_Get a grip._ ' I chided myself, as I felt my lips move up into a goofy smile. I was getting to my knees when I heard some leaves rustle faintly behind me. I glanced over my shoulder but couldn't see anything apart from the trees. I laid flat on my stomach, twigs and rocks pressing into my skin. I reached forward to signal to Mike that I was in place. My fingers were about to nudge his ankle when I saw a shadow pass over the ground around me. Bracing my hand on the ground I pushed, starting to turn over. My eyes were about to reach the cause of the shadow when I felt a sharp prick in my neck. I gasped, covering the pained area with my palm. My eyes watered and started to blur as I saw a human shape step before me. Colors faded to gray, and I heard Michael call out. I tried to scream as a rough hand covered my mouth, and I could feel the pressure of hands against me, lifting me off the ground, throwing me over their shoulder. Then my world went black.

* * *

So . . . like the cliff hanger? ::evil grin::

Cheyanne


	9. Chapter 9

**_AN - _**Sooo, it's been like . . . 3 months since I updated give or take. Sorry about that. ;) But you know how it gets during summer, eh? Whee! But I'm glad summer is over and I'm planning on getting this story finished . . . . I think there's only a couple more chapters left. There could possibly be a sequel, depends on if I have the time and if people would be interested in reading it. Anyway, here is the next Chapter. I really am sorry I left you hanging for so long. Here's some extra special cookies and brownies for being so patient =D

Chey

_**White Flag - Chapter 9**_

**Syd's POV**

_Oh My God! That hurts!_ I moaned at the pain running through my head, the sounds muffled by the gag placed in my mouth. I tried to remove it, but my hands were held fast by the coarse ropes tightened around them. _Shoot!_ Lifting my head I glanced around me, hoping to find something to let me know where I was. It was complete blackness save for a tiny ray of light coming in from a crack under a door in the corner opposite me. I thought back to the last thing I remember. I remember hands closing over my mouth, lifting me up. But the very last thing I remember is Mike grunting in pain. _I wonder what happened to him?! What if he's in here, with me?_

"Michael?!" I called into the darkness, hoping, praying, for some response. My voice echoed off of the walls, coming back to me empty. In a way I had hoped he was here, so I wouldn't be alone in this cold, scary place. But in a way I also hoped he wasn't, because that would mean that escaped and got back to the camp and could get some people to come and get me out of here. _Oh, I want a hippopotamus for christmaaas! And only a hippopotamus will doooo! . . .Wait . . . why is that song stuck in my head? Freaky. This place is making me go craazy. Crazy? I was crazy once. They locked me up in a rubber room; I died in that rubber room. They buried me 6 feet under, in a room full of rats! Rats?! I hate rats! They drive me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once . . . _All of a sudden I thought about the rats. _No! I hope there aren't any rats in here!_ I subconsciously draw my legs in closer to me, folding my arms over top of my knees._ That would be just freakin' great if there were rats in here . . . just my luck. Not to mention dying in a rubber room . . . I hope that doesn't happen either. Why am I thinking like this? I don't even no why I am here, no need to scare myself. For all I know it could be some kid who was upset about the quality of food here at camp and is holding my hostage until the agree to only serve pizza for the remaining time left here . . . hmmm, pizza, yummy. lalalalalaaaaa . . . . . I can't feel my hands, is that bad?_ I wiggled my fingers, trying to get the blood flowing back through them. Shifting my body to a more comfortable position I brushed against something, creating a loud 'Crash!' . . . . W_hoopsie._ I heard loud footsteps as someone ran towards the door. I closed my eyes against the brightness as the door opened. Through my eyelids I could see a flashlight pointing at me.

"What are you doing in here? You're too noisy, be still!" A gruff voiced warned me. I opened my eyes slightly to see a tall, broad shouldered man standing over me. He was dressed in black, with a ski masked pulled over his face._ Hmm . . . For some reason I'm starting to count the disgruntled kid theory out. _"Ya hear me?! He asked sharply, kicking my side. I grunted in response, pulling my legs even closer trying to get rid of the pain. Tears watered up in my eyes, I nodded, making sure he saw. He huffed then left me alone in the blackness again. _Yuup, definitely not a disgruntled kid wanting pizza. So then what is it? I'm starting to get scared now . . . I mean, I was scared before, but now I'm really, really scared. Who did this? And what do they want? _I closed my eyes as a bolt of pain went up my side. _Dear God, Please, let me be okay._

**Michael's POV**

_He- Hey! What is that?_ I bolted upright from the ground, the world spinning around me. 'Clonk!' there it was again! Pinecone after pinecone raining down on my head. _Bleh, what's up with that?_ I looked up at the tree hovering above me. In the twilight I could barely make out the shape of a small fury animal. I quickly moved and got out from under it, before it decided to hit me again. _Okay, if I'm here, then Syd must be too. _Hoping that this not so logical logic would be true, I started searching franticly for Syd. Throwing rocks, kicking logs, it was no use.

"Syd?!" I yelled. _Maybe I just couldn't see her._ "Sydney?!" I yelled louder this time. My ears yearned for a response but were not rewarded.

"Michael?!" I stopped walking. _Wait . . . . is someone calling me?_ Turning around toward the voice I heard it clearer this time. "Mike?! Where are you?!" _Eric! It's Eric! _

"I'm over here Eric!" I yelled back, racing towards his voice. A few seconds later I almost ran into Eric as we both stumbled over a root.

"Where have you been Mike? We've been worried sick!" Eric shouted angrily at me. It was then that he noticed that Sydney wasn't with me. "Um . . . . Where is Sydney?"

"Well, you see Eric." I started. And that was how, 30 minutes later I was in Derek's office telling him all that had happened earlier that day.

"And you say you didn't see either of their faces?" Derek asked for a second time.

"I'm positive." I assured him. "There were only two of them and they were both wearing ski masks. But that's all I saw before I blocked out."

"Hmm . . . "Derek rubbed his chin deep in thought. "Why don't you two go wait out in the Mess Hall. I'll be out in a few minutes. I started to protest, but Eric quickly lead me out.

"Are we going to do anything?" I asked angrily. "Who knows where she is right now? She could be . . . "_No, no that isn't a possibility. Don't even think it._

"Don't think like that Michael. You know she can take care of herself." Eric put his hand on my shoulder and tried to calm me down with his reassuring words. "I bet she's giving those guys that took her enough trouble that they wish they had never taken her." He chuckled at this thought, I elbowed him in the ribs.

"That's not funny Eric. She could be in danger!" I sat down on a bench and brought my face to rest in my hands.

"I know, I'm sorry Mike. I was just trying to lighten things up." He said softly.

"I know Eric. Thanks for that. Really." With that I sighed as I tried to shut out the unwelcome images entering my head.

**Derek's POV**

Running my hand through my hair I picked up the phone with my free hand. Dialing a number that I knew fairly well from the daily updates I made to the person on the other end.

ring, ring

"Hello?" His voice filled the line.

"Jack?"

"Yes? Is that you Derek? Is Sydney okay?" Jack's the usual stoic demeanor was dropped and replaced with worry and concern.

"Sorry to be the one to tell you this Jack, but Sydney . . . She's missing."

"Missing?! What do you mean missing?!" I flinched at the anger directed towards me.

"I'm sorry Jack, but she was kidnapped this afternoon during Capture the Flag."

"This is great. I thought I could trust you to keep her safe!" Before I could speak The line went static. _Shoot!_

**Jack's POV**

I was trying to calm myself down after Derek's call so I could handle the situation clearly. First thing I need to call Amelie and get her to help me. Lifting up the phone I was about to dial when it rang, suddenly.

"Hello?" I asked in to the phone.

"Hello, Jack. Sure is nice to talk to you again." My blood stopped cold.

"What do you want, Arvin?" I asked rigidly.

"Well, I'm sure by now you know about Sydney' disappearance."

"What did you do to her?!"


End file.
